Welcome! Are you asking yourself, should you go to graduate school? Are you unsure if a graduate degree is the right path for you? Don’t worry – this article is for you! Should you go to graduate school? Unfortunately, the answer is not as simple as one would hope. There are a lot of factors to consider. Do you have the financial means to or the desire to? Do you need to in order to excel in your professional career?
Whether you are a working professional or an undergraduate, there are many pros/cons of going to graduate school to consider. I outlined what I considered before I decided to get my MS and now my PhD below.
I did not consider graduate school until I was entered my senior year of my undergraduate degree. By that time, it was too late. I spent most of my undergraduate degree bouncing around from different majors (4 to be exact). During that time, I tanked my grade point average.
When I was a senior in undergrad, I finally realized what I wanted to be. But there was a problem. I would need an advanced biology degree. But I was on track to graduate with a degree in psychology. Now add the cherry on top of having a low GPA.
These two factors were not what I wanted to have when I applied for a PhD in biology. They made me think I was entertaining the impossible.
You think you can’t get into graduate school because your undergraduate degree was in the wrong field or you have a low GPA.
It is a fallacy that you need to have a perfect GPA or that your undergraduate degree has to be in the same field as your MS or PhD. You can still get into a graduate program in your preferred field without these two things.
How you can overcome a bad GPA and having the wrong degree:
Do research and publish.
I conducted research during my undergraduate career, and I had publications. My publications were outside my undergrad field of study but in the field I wanted to pursue in graduate school. This may have been the most important addition to my resume. These publications proved to schools that I could be productive in another discipline and conduct meaningful research.
Get an internship.
I secured an internship in my new field. There, I grew my skillset on my resume to show that I was passionate and could learn on the job.
Good recommendation letters!
I cannot stress enough how important it is to foster quality working relationships. This goes for any advisors, managers, or professors that you work with. A good recommendation letter tells a graduate program they cannot miss out on an exceptional candidate like you.
Score high on the GRE or other placement exam necessary for your graduate field of study.
Some universities are phasing out GRE requirements, but I submitted my scores to each school I applied to. I think the high scores on the GRE offset my low GPA in some cases.
Network early.
I reached out to faculty I wanted to work with well before application season to build a rapport and network. Whenever possible, I met with faculty in person or on Zoom. I wanted them to get to know me and my research interests before my application landed on their desks. I wanted faculty to associate my application with a person rather than a piece of paper. It is hard to stand out in a sea of applicants on paper so building relationships is key.
Be forthcoming.
When speaking to faculty, I acknowledged my low undergraduate GPA. I directly addressed my low undergraduate GPA and did not hide it or try to skirt around the issue. Through personal statements, I took responsibility for my GPA and explained why I knew I would succeed in graduate school.
Choose wisely.
I discerned carefully which schools I chose to apply to. I did not pick universities based on their rankings as an ivy league or private university. Rather, I chose schools based on the faculty I wanted to work with.
I only applied for schools that I answered “yes” to each of the following: Were the faculty looking for students? Did I have research interests in common with the faculty? Was I able to meet with faculty before application season began and did they think I would be successful?
Perhaps, if you were like me and had the double whammy of a low GPA and unrelated field of study, you may consider completing a master’s before you begin your doctorate.
Though it added a few years into my graduate school timeline, I found my experience in my master’s a valuable use of my time. I sincerely feel more prepared to tackle the challenges of a PhD program because of it.
Additionally, for many fields in academia, it is essential to have publications before becoming competitive for research faculty positions. Thus, if you can publish your master’s research, you might shorten time you spend doing research as a postdoctoral scholar.
So, the above section has alleviated your fears, or you already had a good undergraduate GPA but…
You are worried about going into debt to get a master’s or doctoral degree.
- Depending on your field of study, several schools and programs will PAY you an annual stiped to attend a graduate program. This stipend (and other expenses like tuition and fees) is for your work as a teaching assistant or research assistant.
- External funding from fellowships and grants can also fund your graduate career. Federal organizations as well as private organizations offer opportunities to cover stipend, tuition, and research costs. See my other post on common large fellowship awards that you may be eligible to apply for.
- If you are currently employed, perhaps your employer offers an incentive to pursue a graduate level degree. Some employers have scholarship funds for education. They may offer that in exchange for funding your graduate courses, you will stay on X number of years in the company.
During my master’s and so far in my PhD, I received a stipend to either teach or conduct research. These assistantships have also covered tuition and fees. I also know people whose companies paid for them to attend graduate programs.
You can’t afford to not be working a full-time professional career position right now.
One of the biggest hurdles in attending graduate school full time (or even part time) is the time it takes away from working a full-time job.
Stipend amounts
Though I said you can get paid by a university to pursue a graduate degree, these stipends are often small. Especially compared to what most professionals with a college degree are already making.
According to an article published two years ago on Academic Positions, stipends for PhD students ranged between $15,000 and $30,000 in the United States. This range varies by the university and program.
For many people (including me at this moment in my life), this is a livable wage. For many others, it is not. This is especially relevant when you job is the main source of income in your household. Perhaps you are supporting dependents who are not able to work.
It is also important to consider any debt that you are paying off from previous accumulations. Can you continue making loan payments on a graduate student stipend wage?
Another consideration is how much of your earnings you might defer by going to graduate school. Even if a graduate degree will significantly increase your earning power, you are forfeiting some earning power now. Forgoing contributing to retirement savings plans during graduate school may exacerbate your deferred earnings.
University incentives
However, many universities offer programs that offset this potential pay cut. These programs include student healthcare and on-campus graduate or family student housing subsidized by the university to lessen financial burdens.
Not all universities offer these benefits. So, it is important to do your research before applying to a program or accepting an offer. If you’d like to read more about things to consider when applying for programs, see my next article coming soon.
Time to degree
Finally, not every master’s program ends in 2 years and not every PhD program ends in 4 years. This is especially true in my field (biology) and is influenced by your program choice, as well. It is helpful to ask departments how long students usually take to finish their degrees if you are concerned about time. That way, you can get a feel for how much time you will commit to the program. Additionally, unforeseen circumstances like the pandemic can derail even the best estimates of degree completion.
You don’t think you can stand to sit through lectures anymore.
Perhaps you are facing burnout from having been in school most of your life. Or, you have entered the working world and have tasted a true 9-5 job. In either case, you may not want to spend your free time sitting in a lecture hall or studying.
I understand both feelings. I had extreme burnout by the end of my undergrad. After I graduated, I went straight into a 40-hour work week. I found freedom in having a set schedule with overtime pay, holidays, and no homework.
However, things changed when I began my master’s program. I found it easier to focus my effort on my studies and I was more efficient at studying so I could enjoy the process. There were two things contributing to this shift in my attitude. 1) I had excitement for what I studied and 2) I matured.
Also, in a graduate program, you probably won’t have to take courses unrelated or uninteresting to your degree program. General education requirements are a thing of the (undergraduate) past for the most part.
If you’re truly interested in your field, you’ll likely find almost all classes you take directly relatable to your interests.
Your career aspirations require an advanced degree.
Not all career paths require a PhD or even an MS. It is important to do research to understand what positions necessitate an advanced degree. Perhaps your field requires more applied working experience or a few certification courses rather than MS or PhD.
In my field (fish and wildlife management), it is common for state agencies to encourage a master’s for management positions. Additionally, some federal positions require years of advanced education for promotions to higher pay scales.
A master’s or doctoral degree is often required to go into academia as a lecturer or full professor. Generally, community colleges require a master’s while many four-year universities require a PhD to qualify for professor positions.
There may be exceptions to these generalities. So, it is important to understand whether an advanced degree fits into your career aspirations before applying. I encourage you to seek out people who you respect that hold positions that you want. Ask them if they needed a degree to achieve what they have achieved.
After reading all of the above, you are still undecided.
If you’ve made it this far and are still unsure about graduate school, I have one question for you. Why would you not apply? After all, you can turn down an acceptance if you decide you don’t want to commit to a graduate program.
Personally, the application/interview process reaffirmed my decision to go to grad school for my PhD. I many people I admired who were already in the program or applying to the program. I was confident that I’d be surrounded by the right people to help me grow personally and professionally.
Lastly, hearing a decision from the application process can be a telling event, too. I have been on both sides of the acceptance/rejection coin.
When I didn’t get into the first school I applied to for a PhD, I was sad. I cried a bit and then started outlining what I needed to do to make myself a more competitive candidate for graduate school. (If you want to read more about application experience and how I got in, watch out for my upcoming article.)
On the flip side, I was really excited to hear that I got into my graduate programs (both my MS and PhD). I jumped up and down with excitement, calling my parents and friend to share the news.
In both of those instances, it reaffirmed to me that I genuinely wanted to pursue graduate school.
What are your experiences deciding whether or not to go to graduate school? Did I miss any important points that you considered in your decision? Let me know in the comments below.
If you are going to pursue graduate studies, read my post about questions I wished I asked before I started graduate school.